scroll

The Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek that is translated in English as “scroll” is translated in Khoekhoe with xamiǂkhanisa or “rolled-up book” (source: project-specific notes in Paratext) and in Newari as “paper that has been rolled up” (source: Newari Back Translation).

See also roll up the scroll.

complete verse (Ezekiel 3:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 3:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “while saying to me, ‘Eat this book until you are satisfied/full.’ So, I ate (it) but/and it was sweet like honey.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “He said to me, ‘Okay, eat that until you (sing.) will-be-satisfied.’ And when I ate-it, it was sweet as honey.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then he said to me, ‘You human, eat the scroll that I have given to you. Fill your stomach with it.’ So I ate it, and in my mouth it tasted as sweet as honey.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 3:3

And he said to me: God speaks to Ezekiel again, telling him to swallow the scroll.

For Son of man, see 2.1.

Eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it: The Hebrew is very vivid here. It reads literally “cause you stomach to eat and fill your belly with this scroll I am giving you.” It points to Ezekiel, whether literally or in the vision, eating and digesting the message of God for the Israelites. The message must become part of Ezekiel. Translators have rendered these two clauses in various ways; for example, Bible en français courant has “fill your stomach and nourish your body with this scroll that I give you,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll that I give you.” Another possible model is “eat this scroll that I give you and fill yourself completely with it.”

Then I ate it: The connector Then may be rendered “So” (Contemporary English Version, New Jerusalem Bible) or “As a result.”

And it was in my mouth as sweet as honey: Compare Rev 10.9-10. Since the scroll contained lamentations and cries of grief, it could be expected to taste unpleasant. But when Ezekiel ate the scroll, he found that “it was sweet like honey” (International Children’s Bible). Many commentators believe this means that Ezekiel agreed with the judgments God was making on the people. That may be true, but for translation purposes this clause should be treated literally, not metaphorically. Good News Translation says “it tasted as sweet as honey,” which is more natural English. Honey is the sweet liquid produced by bees. Some cultures call it “bee excretion” or “bee water.” In cultures where bees are unknown, honey may be rendered “sweet juice/water from the insect called bee,” or a local alternative may be used, such as “sugar cane.” Or this whole clause may be translated simply “and it was very sweet.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .